Office holiday parties can be tricky. While you want to maintain an air of professionalism in front of your co-workers, you also don't want to dress like you would on any other workday. Where does that leave you? Somewhere between formal and festive that can often be hard to pinpoint—and that's where we come in. Today we've rounded up eight amazing outfits that will impress not only your boss but your colleagues and date, too!
Scroll through to see (and shop!) the looks.
Joel Chen
Age: 63
Occupation Owner of JF Chen, a renowned antiques and midcentury design store with four locations in Southern California.
Location Los Angeles.
Favorite Room The great room of his English Tudor home in the historic Hancock Park neighborhood. The space is filled with an eclectic mix of vintage décor, including 19th-century Chinese and 1950s Danish pieces, which Mr. Chen has accumulated during nearl y four decades in business.
What do you love about this room?
The last 10 years I really haven't changed it. My taste has stabilized. I want to say I've finally matured. Gradually, I've learned how to put things together, that somehow 18th-century and 1950s you can do in a way that is very aesthetic to the eye. I'm a lot less insecure.
I'm intrigued by this figure behind you.
That is a 19th-century model of a Chinese dignitary in the Qing dynasty. He's made very meticulously and the clothes survived, which is unusual. And he's anatomically correct. It's very detailed. I bought that in Canton in China. Must be 20 years ago.
Do you travel abroad regularly for your business?
In my early years I traveled quite a bit, and to places that I would say most people wouldn't want to go for shopping. I was in Slovenia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary. In those days I was looking for Italian painted furniture. A lot of places I will never go back to in my lifetime. The world is too big for me.
How do you decide what to sell and what to bring here?
Everything of mine has a chance to sell until it doesn't. And if it starts to grow on me, then I put it in my house. I have an enormous collection already, so whatever would be added needs to speak to me a lot more than before.
I'm guessing that rock over there on the table spoke to you.
That is called a scholar's rock. In the old days, scholars and artists and poets would place them on their desk. They would get inspiration from it. I guess by the same token you can go to Montana and get a more Western sense of inspiration.
Has a guest ever tried to buy your furniture out from under you?
No. I vehemently refuse to sell anything out of my home.
I know you have two daughters who work with you. How did you preserve precious objects around kids?
They grew up not touching anything. Even as babies crawling around, they knew not to raise their hands and grab.
